“It occurred to me as I stared into the darkness that it was probably a good thing it had taken so long for me to see Simon for who he truly was. If I hadn’t fallen in love with that sweet and kind boy, I wouldn’t have gotten on a plane with him to fly halfway across the world; I wouldn’t have trusted him enough to do what he was asking me to do. And as angry as I was, as much as I hated what my life had become, I knew I had to do what Simon and the others were asking me to do. It all came down to one inescapable belief. I would have to kill or be killed. There were certainly other pieces of the puzzle that were more complex and harder to understand, but that one piece was very clear and unrelenting and it drove me forward, even in those moments when giving up seemed like the most sensible choice I could make.”

The end of the world will start in the suburbs of Denver with a faery transfer student from Ireland. If you think that’s totally ridiculous, then you understand how Maggie O’Neill feels. In all of her sixteen years, faeries were something you read about in children’s books. They didn’t actually show up on your doorstep. They didn’t kiss you and make your knees go weak and whisper sweet nothings in your ear. Until Simon Brady, that is. Simon changed everything. He makes her heart race and her skin burn with excitement, but he has also changed her core beliefs about the world and made her see it as a dark and dangerous place filled with monsters that belong only in the lines of faery tales. There is no doubt in Maggie’s mind that she loves Simon, but can she see past who he is and find a place for him in her heart?

REVIEW

Hey Everyone, Midnight Fairy is back! I thank the rest of the fairies for picking up my slack, you all rock!

Alright, let's move on to the review... This is the first YA Fantasy I've read in a while. Most of the books I've read these past few weeks are new adult and romance novels, so, I wasn't sure what to expect from the book. However, when I started reading Courage and Other Demons, I was immediately hooked. There's just something about these young characters and their predicament that pulls you in.

Maggie is a typical young adult--- she worries about school, has a love-hate relationship with her brother, has a pretty awesome best friend, has a cute boyfriend yet crushing on the new Irish boy in school. The said Irish boy---Simon, apparently likes her back. So, when things went south between Maggie and her boyfriend, Simon jumps into the picture and, let's just say it was the beginning of something epic.

Somewhere along the road, we were introduced to the fantasy aspect of the book which involves faeries, supernatural abilities and prophecies. I honestly felt like I was reading a less complicated and a feminist version of Harry Potter. The realm Ms. Daugherty created is pretty straightforward and very easy to understand which I find appropriate for its target audience.

Let's go back to the characters. I liked Maggie because she's a really nice young lady. She loves and respects her parents, loves her brother despite his annoying habits (I think he was adorable) and she's such a great friend. But, there are moments that she's not very easy to like, specially when she was told about the prophecy and Simon's real identity. Simon on the other hand is a pretty decent guy. He's well liked in school and he's obviously sincere with his affection towards Maggie. If there's one thing I didn't like about him, it's his over protectiveness. Maggie wants to learn how to fight but Simon was against it. Like Maggie said, she would have to kill or be killed--and she need fighting skills to have a chance to survive. Simon and the Guardians wont always be around to save Maggie. I hope we see a stronger Maggie on the next book.

Overall, I must say that Courage and Other Demon is a very entertaining read. The characters are flawed and relatable, the story is simply magical, the romance has the right amount of sweetness appropriate for young readers and there is a dash of action added into the mix. I'm recommending this book to all YA Fantasy readers, specially to those who loves fairy stories.

My Rating: 4 Stars.

About the author:

Jill Daugherty lives in Denver with Bailey, the world’s cutest puppy. By day, she works with gifted children and their teachers, but somewhere on the drive home every evening, she transforms into a writer. When she’s not working, writing or cleaning up Bailey’s latest mess, she likes to...uh, no, that’s pretty much her life.

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